Nirvana
by RadiantKeybladeFantasy
Summary: Winter has arrived in Balamb, and Squall and Rinoa take a quiet stroll during the first snow day since they have been together. Post-game; holiday, one-shot, definite fluff.


**Nirvana**

They traversed the long walkway to the entrance of the school alone, its emptiness and quiet air giving a sense of desolation and peace to their minds. There was no sound but that of their footsteps patting gently on the blanketed path as they moved side-by-side in absolute silence. In the comfort of the ambiance, she lifted her head towards the sky, the brisk air nipping at her face as she gazed ahead at the last bit of daylight fading beyond the horizon.

From the corner of her eye, she watched as her furry companion bounded across the frosty hills, her whole back coated in a white sheet – an amusing sight which caused the young woman to laugh under her breath in return.

Winter had hit hard this year, covering the entryway into their school in a beautiful coat of thick snow that could be seen for miles; the leaves of the trees that lined the path had long fallen from their place, leaving behind nothing but barren sticks of wood that now waited for the cold season to pass once again.

It was her first winter at Balamb Garden, and the white blanket that lay before them presented such a sharp contrast to the flourishing greenery she was used to seeing.

The very sight was mesmerizing to her eyes; the entirety of the campus had come to look vastly different in a single night.

In her musings, she cast a questioning glance in his direction. He didn't spare her a thought, not even budging in the slightest to give her any recognition; his eyes fixated on the ground as they continued forward. He had not said a word for the duration of their walk – and while she was used to such a quiet persona, his lack of sound had become an increasing concern for her over time.

She could see through the tufts of hair that hung past his face to that unyielding look in his eyes – the one that let her know he was thinking too much again. She didn't bother trying to deduce his thoughts this time however; that stoic expression of his tended to hide a multitude of notions at once and she didn't feel like digging that hole right now. For what it was worth, she was simply content to let him be and enjoy what was left of their time together.

She clung gently to his arm, pulling herself closer to him; a smile formed on her face as she rested her head on his shoulder, the coziness of his jacket providing a comfortable barrier from the harsh cold. He was so quiet and unresponsive, even with her nuzzled up to him - but the feeling of his strong form, and warm breath on her cap filled her with a sense of comfort nothing or no one else could give her.

Her eyes gazed ahead to see the towering structure before them gradually increase in size as they drew nearer. This hunk of steel architecture was the place she had called home for nearly a year now – and while she had grown accustomed to it, the sight of such nevertheless continued to remind her of just how much things had changed.

She didn't miss her old life; quite the opposite, in fact. This had just turned out better for her. She was happier here, safer even. And under the protection of her knight, she knew she would never feel any kind of fear again. Though she often wondered how the elder man might be faring in his days now, she nevertheless knew she had made the right decision.

She had no regrets.

She felt a wet tip tap her hand and looked to find her canine companion had wandered back to her side. Removing her head from Squall's shoulder, she kneeled down to greet her best friend, "Hey, Angelo." She spoke to the dog in a whispered voice, the Australian Shepherd happily hanging its tongue out in response to the massage its tricolor coat was getting.

Rinoa finished brushing the snow off of the canine's back when a thought crossed her mind. Eyeing up the small white pile in front of her friend, she could hear the sound of Squall's footsteps slowly getting further away.

He hadn't even thought to stop in the short time she paid to Angelo…

She threw a wink at the dog and carefully scooped a clump of snow into her mittens. Angelo watched as she balled it up, the wagging of her tail crafting the shape of an angel wing in the snow behind her as she stared longingly at the white sphere forming in her owner's hands.

"Squall," Rinoa called in a sweet voice.

The quiet young man stopped in his tracks at the mention of his name and turned his head…only to be greeted by a snowball straight to the face. His whole body froze; his nerves null from the frigid temperature, his nose burning from the cold and cheeks turning to ice as the snow slowly fell of his mug. To make the matter worse, the sound of laughter from his raven-haired girlfriend was the only thing he could hear once the finally feeling returned to his face.

He peeked through the remnants of snow to see Rinoa nearly doubled over, holding her stomach as she laughed joyfully at the sight of him. Beside her, Angelo looked back at him with an equally cheerful expression before giving a loud bark in his direction.

A mischievous look soon formed on the brunette's face as he glanced from one to the other with a moment's decision…

Rinoa's laughter ceased immediately when she quickly ducked to avoid an incoming snowball. Her eyes wide at Squall's retaliation, she had little time to react as she witnessed the SeeD Commander now running towards her. She moved as fast as her legs could carry her, but the snow proved to be a hindrance as she struggled to dash through the thick blanket in a bid to stay ahead of him. She could feel him catching up to her; while she was a fairly quick runner, Squall had more endurance and stamina through his military training, and the dense snow seemed to have very little effect in slowing him down even with his heavy winter gear.

A shriek of excitement soon emitted from the young woman when she felt his hands wrap around her waist, and she laughed hysterically as he leaned forward before pulling her into a hug from behind.

The warmth of his breath felt so comfortable against her cold cheeks, and she smiled as he wrapped his arms around her tighter. He nuzzled up to her face, his head caressing the side of her neck as he trapped her in a strong embrace.

Another spurt of laughter emitted from her lips at his affection, causing a smile to finally grace Squall's lips. Yet he remained ever silent, continuing to hold onto her in the chilling air.

She finally managed to wriggle free from his grasp and quickly turned to face him. There was a contented smile on her face as she stared into his brown eyes, and watched in wonderment as a snowflake gently drifted down between them. She lifted her eyes towards the night sky that was rapidly encroaching to bear witness to a whole flurry that had begun to softly descend upon the already buried land.

Turning her head towards to the doors, she quickly caught sight of mistletoe that hung just above them. The very thought brought another laugh to emerge and she focused her gaze back towards her mate in satisfaction.

Squall must have caught sight of it too, she supposed as his face lowered in unison to meet hers once again. In that single moment, she thought she saw it: that flicker of hope, of even the slightest sense of absolute happiness gleaming in his eyes. She had never seen such a look from him before; even in their one year together, he had never looked at her with the same kind of passion as he did at this very moment.

Yet she had a strong feeling it was not simply due to the small piece of plant that dangled casually over their heads.

No. This change had been a long time coming – and that joyous look and relief reflected in his eyes was the result of a once lonely boy whom had finally found his something worthwhile. As long as he had her, he had the whole world. He didn't need anything else.

Rinoa reached up to touch his face, her mitten lightly stroking his cheek as they gazed closely at one another. She felt him pull her in a little tighter as she pressed up against his body before finally meeting his lips. Indulgently, she allowed herself to quickly be whisked away and wrapped her arms around his neck; the cold air no longer a bother to her as the warmth from Squall's hug and fervent kiss revitalized her nerves, nullifying the icy atmosphere around them.

Squall briefly pulled his head away, if only long enough to ogle the face of his sorceress one last time. The white of the snow only seemed to enhance the beauty of her pale complexion, and he tenderly stroked her long, raven hair that streamed out from under her cap to ensure this was not some fabrication of his mind.

To his relief, he felt the delicate strands of hair slide through his gloved fingertips – a sensation that soon brought a frail smile to the corner of his mouth while he allowed his hand to linger in those long locks for a moment.

Rinoa swore she saw a small tear trickle down the side of his face – but she had little time to wonder as she finally heard him utter those three words that would forever linger in her heart…

"I love you."

There was no hesitation, no regret or denial anywhere in his voice; nothing but the sweet sound of absolution and a lasting promise as he had whispered to her that long awaited declaration.

She felt her heart flutter - and in her delight, gave him a blissful smile before placing another affectionate kiss on his cold lips.

The night had turned the skies to shadows and the light of the moon cast a shimmering glow on the endless fields of snow around them; Garden itself even seemed to relish in the moment, the lights that decorated the path to where they stood now illuminating the area with a vibrant light and turning it into a spectacle of magnificent splendor.

In the midst of it all, Squall and Rinoa held each other close, unaware of the brilliant display surrounding them. Even the sound of Angelo's cheery barking did not deter, the sorceress and her knight easily letting themselves get lost once more in their own peaceful winter wonderland.

 ***Author's Note*** \- _Well, this was fun to write! Just a little something for the holiday season that is quickly approaching. I am sorry I have not updated " **Into the Fire"** in a long time - I have been quite distracted with other things lately and haven't really put much time into writing. I still intend to update it, but I honestly cannot continue to promise when that may be._

 _I apologize for the inconvenience and I hope you will enjoy this nice holiday treat until then.=)_


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